Rental Broker

Nybits.com has lots of no-fee apts from multiple management companies. Also try craigslist.com, but you will have to sift through a lot of crap/fake ads to find something. If you have some $$ to spend check out the bigger management companies: Related, Rockrose, Glenwood - all have websites and ads in NYT. It can be a pain finding no-fee, but it can be done if you ahve the time.

Not sure if you don't have much time each week, or you don't have much time before you HAVE to move (or both). A complicating factor is that most apartments won't become available until somewhere from two - four weeks before your move-in.

If you're looking for "market rate" (expensive) apartments, then the Relateds, Rockroses, and Glenwoods will work for you. If you're looking for something "low-to-middling", then working with a broker is probably not a bad idea. While in Manhattan it's the renter who usually pays, we are seeing more and more cases of landlords paying some or all of the rental fees - and it's BEGINNING to trickle down to some of the more moderate priced apartments.

I'm primarily a buyer broker, but on occasion have been able to help friends / family of my buyer clients find good rentals, often on short notice. And I've done this by charging a (minimal) flat fee. If you'd like, feel free to contact me at johnrealestate1@optonline.net.

It's tough to find good rental brokers because even though the standard 15% of one year's rent is a big bite to you, your broker doesn't make that much money per hour, and most agents with a certain level of competence gravitate to sales. I think the exception are brokers who have some geographic focus, because they'll know the neighborhood inventory, and can therefore get the job done rather quickly.

For the Upper East Side, I'd take a quick look at Fox Residential. I don't know what they have listed, if anything, but they are members of the Real Estate Board of New York who are based in that neighborhood.

Midtown is harder. Your best bet is probably to find stuff on nytimes.com. You will save yourself a lot of pain and suffering if you concentrate only on ads that have actual addresses. You can also try Metro and the Biltmore, both of which I think will rent to you directly.

I would also trust John above, he has shown via his advice on this board that he has a good head on his shoulders.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

I would recommend nybits and streeteasy has quite a few no-fee rentals as well.

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/rentals/nyc/no_fee%3A1%7Chas_address%3A1

If you don't have time and I would definitely recommend using a broker. Douglas Elliman was helpful and very professional for me.

Good luck!

Here is a good deal

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/rental/388176-condo-100-riverside-boulevard-lincoln-square-new-york

And it was listed as no fee originally but that got changed in the last day or so. Might still have some room for low broker fees.